Syrian rebels announce fall of Russia-backed Assad regime  —  Syrian rebels announced on Dec. 8 that they had ousted President Bashar al-Assad from the capital city of Damascus.  —  “The tyrant Bashar al-Assad has fled.  We declare the city of Damascus free from the tyrant Bashar al-Assad,” rebel leaders said in a statement.

Trump will ‘most likely’ pardon Capitol rioters on Day 1 and says Jan. 6 committee members should be jailed  —  The president-elect also said during an exclusive interview with “Meet the Press” that he won't request a special prosecutor to investigate outgoing President Joe Biden.

What Doctors Like Myself Know About Americans' Health Care Anger  —  I rushed around the patient as he lay motionless with his eyes closed in the emergency room.  He was pale and sweaty, his T-shirt stained with vomit.  You didn't have to be a health-care worker to know that he was in a dire state.

Federal employees scramble to insulate themselves from Trump's purge  —  Career civil servants are scrubbing social media, changing job titles and looking for private sector work over fear that Trump might fire them  —  Lisa Rein covers federal agencies and the management of government.

Climate Activists Need to Radically Change Their Approach Under Trump  —  Donald Trump's return to Washington might seem like a terrifying moment for the fight against climate change.  The incoming administration is not just hostile to the energy transition; it's also expected to pull …

Youngkin: Jordanians ‘crashed’ Quantico.  Feds: It was an Amazon delivery.  —  Virginia's governor has used the arrest of two undocumented men who misunderstood directions to stop at a check-in station to inflame fears over illegal immigration.  —  RICHMOND — There are two versions …

The Tennessee Trans Treatment Case Is About Age, Not Sex  —  I cannot begin to imagine the pain of feeling that your body does not match your gender.  I cannot imagine the pain of parenting a child in such distress.  Americans should feel immense sympathy for individuals in those circumstances …

Trump aims to end birthright citizenship, says American citizens with family here illegally may be deported  —  President-elect Donald Trump, in an exclusive interview with “Meet the Press,” also said he is open to working with Democrats on a legislative way to keep Dreamers in the United States.

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting latest: Suspect's backpack had Monopoly money: Sources  —  The manhunt for CEO Brian Thompson's killer is now on its fourth day.  —  Members of the NYPD search the pond near Bethesda Fountain in Central Park for possible evidence tied to the shooting death …

Want a Job in the Trump Administration?  Be Prepared for the Loyalty Test.  —  Applicants for government posts, including inside the Pentagon and the intelligence agencies, say they have been asked about their thoughts on Jan. 6 and who they believe won the 2020 election.

US announces nearly $1 billion more in longer-term weapons support for Ukraine  —  The United States will provide nearly $1 billion more in longer-term weapons support to Ukraine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday as the Biden administration rushes to spend all the congressionally approved money …